Contractors charged in DOD conspiracy case

WASHINGTON, Jan. 7 (UPI) -- Two U.S. Department of Defense contractors have been charged with conspiring to steal information on fuel supply contracts, the U.S. Justice Department said.

In addition, two contracting firms and another individual were charged with participating in the scheme to steal information relating to contracts on supplying fuel to Defense Department worldwide aircraft fleet, the Justice Department said in a news release Monday.

The indictment charged Christopher Cartwright and Paul Wilkinson and two affiliated companies -- Far East Russia Aircraft Services Inc., based in Prague, Czech Republic, and Aerocontrol LTD, based in the Isle of Man -- and Matthew Bittenbender, a former senior contract fuel manager at Avcard, in the conspiracy.

Cartwright, Wilkinson, FERAS and Aerocontrol allegedly conspired with Bittenbender to defraud the United States, commit wire fraud and steal trade secrets, the indictment read.

"These cases demonstrate that we will aggressively investigate and prosecute those who attempt to derail the efforts of the Department of Defense to obtain essential goods and services, such as aviation fuel, at competitive prices," said Thomas O. Barnett, assistant attorney general in charge of the department's Antitrust Division.